Stan Collymore slams LMA statement defending Malky Mackay texts

Stan Collymore, a prominent anti-racism campaigner, has hit out at the League Managers’ Association. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Stan Collymore has described the League Managers’ Association’s statement defending Malky Mackay’s offensive text messages as “friendly banter” as being “fucking disgraceful”.

The LMA released a statement on behalf of the former Cardiff City manager on Thursday night after the 42-year-old and the then sporting director, Iain Moody, were alleged to have shared racist, sexist and homophobic texts when they worked together at the club.

In the statement Mackay apologised for sending messages he admits were ”disrespectful of other cultures”, but he said he would co-operate with any investigation after Cardiff sent a dossier to the Football Association detailing a number of issues when he in charge of the club.

Mackay and Moody were sacked by Cardiff last season and the club have sent a dossier to the FA alleging misconduct. The LMA statement said Mackay had been under pressure at the time of the messages and he was “letting off steam to a friend during some friendly text message banter”.

The response to the statement has not been favourable and Collymore – a prominent anti-racism campaigner – has criticised the LMA’s stance.

He said on Twitter: “LMA statement. Fucking disgraceful. Institutional acceptance of the ”banter“ of casual racism.” He does feel Mackay deserves a second chance, though, adding: “Always kind to me, hope he says sorry (if true), and moves on.”

Another former player who has worked closely on eliminating discrimination, Jason Roberts, tweeted excerpts from the LMA’s statement and then said: “That’s it..I’m done for the evening..The LMA said it better than I ever could.. They are actually being serious! Somebody drafted that..WOW!”

The LMA statement added: “If Malky has caused any offence by these two isolated matters he would wish to sincerely apologise.” The LMA claims the club searched more than 10,000 private text messages and found two from Mackay that were “with the benefit of hindsight, very regrettable and disrespectful of other cultures.

“These were … sent in private at a time Malky felt under great pressure and when he was letting off steam to a friend during some friendly text message banter.

“The LMA does not condone in any way any potential breach of equal opportunities laws but would also point out that out of over 10,000 text messages and 70,000 documents produced over a long period of time it may not be a complete surprise that some inappropriate comments can sometimes be made by employees, like Malky, working under great pressure in highly charged situations.”

However, Mackay was said to be ”very concerned about seriously inaccurate and misleading reports” in the media.

The statement continued: “It has never been alleged that he wrote any homophobic or sexist messages and he has confirmed he did not do so.

“Further, there are incorrect and damaging suggestions that he sent a whole host of offensive and unpleasant messages that are simply not true and which give a grossly distorted and unfair view of Malky’s involvement in this matter.

“Malky finds it strange that these matters were only raised with the FA and in the media now, eight months after his employment ended and the day before he was reported as being offered the opportunity to become manager of Crystal Palace FC.

“Malky cannot of course comment on the nature of any conduct or communications alleged to have been made by others.

“Malky has said that he will be fully co-operating with any FA investigation and that he looks forward to putting the record straight thereafter.”

It is understood Cardiff’s sending of the dossier to the FA was not deliberately timed to have any effect on Mackay’s candidacy for the Palace job.

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